Back in the early 80’s when hip hop first began to thrive in the entertainment market many people outside the culture predicted a bleak future for the inner city movement. It’s now 30 years later and the hip hop genre has made way for a variation of sub genres. Of those various sub genres The Sa Ra Creative Partners of Los Angeles are the latest musicians to offer a non-traditional hip hop sound with there full length debut The Hollywood Recordings. Members Om’Mas Keith, Shafiq Husayn, and Taz Arnold are no strangers to the rap game having already produced tracks for the likes of Pharoah Monch and Jurassic 5. After there deal with Kanye West’s GOOD Music imprint fizzled a few years ago the three are deciding to hold it down through an independent venture with Babygrande for there first time out.

From jump street The Creative Partners put there unique twist on various sounds and bask in the glory of making there own unadulterated tunes on the mesmerizing “Glorious”. The equally appealing “So Special” has a Neptune meshed with a Neo Soul feeling nostalgia to it. Sa Ra enlists veteran rhymer Talib Kweli to help relinquish the everyday bass head’s dry thirst for simple 808’s on the thumping “Feel The Bass”. Then they utilize extraordinary but mellow soundscapes to make offerings such as “And If” and “Rosebuds” some more ear attractive additions. The orginal talk of New York duo Capone N Noreaga show up on another one of the album’s gangsta rap offerings “Not On Our Level”.

A surprise comes when Sa Ra damn near goes Too Short style on the mellow and grooving “Bitch”. A convincing job of adapting to a purely west coast sound on the Kurupt, Lord Nez, and Erika Rose featured “Lean On Me” will leave fans of the left in a long and pleasant daze. Pharoahe Monch appears on one of the album’s premier cuts “Fish Fillet” and manages to stay on course with Sa Ra’s mainly softcore sexually explicit nature. An excellent use of a simple slow synthesizer on the late J. Dilla featured “Thrilla” is yet another testament to the genius of Sa Ra’s new age alternative rap music. The Hollywood Recordings is closed out with a sincere ode to the deviances that come along with the glamorous life on “Hollywood (Redux)”.

The Hollywood Recordings offer a much needed break from the monotony going on in hip hop today. Finally a group of musicians have come together and formed into one coalation free of gimmicks and games. Some of Sa Ra’s singing throughout the album comes off a little off kilter at times but that doesn’t take anything away from the album’s high sexual appeal. With a knack for easily adapting sound to there guest features various styles the Sa Ra Creative Partners may very well be the next high demand high dollar producers!

VERDICT – 15 / 20
LYRICS: 3
PRODUCTION: 4
DELIVERY: 3
CONSISTENCY: 5